Purple Feathers
by Ga'hoolian Gem
Summary: A fairly young gem meets a fairly young Barn Owl. (My first story, please read and review! New chapters to be posted now and then.) DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN STEVEN UNIVERSE OR GUARDIANS OF GA'HOOLE. Image credit to Miranda. (thirteenftw.)
1. Chapter 1

Flight. That's all I ever thought of. Such a magnificent way of travel, and yet it can be so far from my reach. That is what I thought, 'till I tried shapeshifting. Oh goody, being an owl was fun! I could soar everywhere! (Until Pearl called me back. Bummer!) But with fun, there can be a downside...

One night, I had shapeshifted into an Eagle Owl, and flown off while Steven was asleep and the others were in their rooms. I had heard of a mystical place called Ga'Hoole. A place of thrills, learning and wonder. Where knightly owls rose in the night to perform noble deeds. Where the Guardians resided, honest and brave, wise and true. Yeah, the place sounded amazing! I was doing some barrel rolls before reaching the Sea of Hoolemere, when suddenly: I heard voices in my head.

 _Amethyst? AMETHYST! Where are you? (#Pearl)_

Dumbfounded by my dizziness, I shook my head and dove into the everlasting void that is the night sky. (Woah!)

I came across an old Great Gray, talking to a wolf about how pellets work.

"Hey, wannaberyb!" I shouted to the old coop.

He took one look at me and flew off, intimidated. Saddened, I kept going towards the water. When I got to the sea, (FINALLY!) I had found an ancient-looking echidna, its quills painted with flower dyes. It yelled of 'foretold legends'. My 'gizzard' was telling me not to meet it, so I flew... and flew... and flew...


	2. Chapter 2

As I glided through the air currents, I sensed a disturbance in the sky. _What could that be?_ For once, I actually paid attention: a hurricane headed my way.

"Holy cow! I got to avoid it!"

With blood pumping fast and feelings uncertain, I used all my energy to swerve sharply to my right. (Or, as Bird Nerd calls it, starboard.) It didn't really work well, since I had only travelled a few meters and the storm was surging in fast. Exhausted and mortified, I screamed.

"Oh my gosh, I AM GOING TO DIE."

Nearing the point of panic, (Or yeep, Bird Nerd again.) I decided to gather all my courage and fly straight into it. I yelled and flew. I went straight into it, purple feathers in the wind. I felt something sharp in my wing, like when you bite it on accident while preening.

"What in the name of-

BOOM. The sound bounced in my ears. The clap of thunder roared in my head. Suddenly remembering my pain, I looked to my port side to find a seashell lodged in my wing. I tried like crazy to get it out, but I had to focus on the task at wing. I was losing control, frantically looking in all directions. Then it happened. My wings folded. I fell. Plummeted. Went yeep. Down I went into the vast, blue, alarmingly dangerous sea. The last thing I felt was a gripping around my midsection...


	3. Chapter 3

I awoke in a weird, stinky hollow with bits of moss everywhere. Books lined the carved-in shelves, and small pellets in a small pot. _Gross!_ Among the books were a few toys, maybe for an owlet to use. But what did I know? I'm just a gem. To me, this place was astounding! I peeked out of the hollow to discover a large mass of branches, hollows, and owls as far as the eye can see!

"Hello? Anyone there?"

No reply. Then the gears in my head shifted: _I am in Ga'Hoole._ _I made it. I didn't die! I LIVED!_

Excitement coursed through my veins as I scanned the tree from the hollow. In my excitement, I did not detect the things happening near me. I heard some wind commotion, quite silent. An owl was flying towards me. Instinctively, I stepped back. The barn owl landed in the hollow with grace, and in total silence. I begged myself to stay quiet.

"Hey there, you're finally awake!" The owl said, optimism in his voice.

"Hehe, yeah. Say, how'd I end up in this place? I don't remember a thing," I replied.

"I rescued you from a fatal fall. You were going straight into the sea in the midst of a hurricane!"

The memories suddenly flooded my brain. "Oh. Well, thank you! My name is Amethyst, and I was on a trip to the Great Tree."

"My name is Soren, and well, you made it!"

We took off to find The King and Queen of Hoole. A pair of wingfast snowies that gracefully ruled over the kingdom. There, I would speak with them and understand the history of the place. After all, I had no actual clue where anything was in this darn tree. When we arrived at the large hollow, Boron and Baran, the royal snowies who took care of the tree, greeted me with kindess, although were surpised by my purple plumage. They eyed it nervously, then looked to a short-eared owl who had just arrived.

"Otulissa, can you blow off that candle?" the King asked.

"Yes sir."

In a flash, she turned it off. Soren was then asked to fly up to the Queen and explain how I was found. A few inaudible whispers, then he flew back to me. I stepped forward to introduce myself to the King and Queen.

"Your Honors, I am Amethyst, Eurasian Eagle Owl of Delmarva." _I hope I introduced myself correctly._

"Pray tell," the Queen hooted. "How are your feathers purple? Soren told me he tried washing it off when you were unconscious, but to no avail."

"It's natural." There was a gasp from the owls sitting in back, watching the conversation.

"Are you sure?"

"Indeed I am, my Queen."

"Do you have any battle experience?"

"Thousands upon thousands of years."

" ...May you demonstrate whatever you mean tommorow? I will set up a friendly battle with Soren here."

"I accept. Thanks, and I'll see you tommorow."


	4. Chapter 4

_Back at Beach City..._

"WHERE IS AMETHYST?! SHE'S BEEN GONE FOR 2 DAYS NOW! 2 WHOLE DAYS!"

"Relax Pearl," Steven muttered in a worried yet drowsy voice. "She probably stayed in the wrestling place too late and fell asleep. Speaking of sleep..." The young boy fell flat on the tile floor of the Big Donut. A thin teenage boy with large ear piercings and an unsettling haircut stumbled in from the doughnut kitchen.

"What the- STEVEN! I just mopped and dried that floor! Ugh, this never ends."

"Sorry Lars, I, uh, fell asleep. Have you seen Amethyst lately?"

"What? No. Now go, um do your sleeping somewhere else and junk."

"Ok then. C'mon Pearl, let's meet Garnet at Funland. Maybe she found her." Steven got up and left with Pearl.

They both trotted up to Funland's entrance. They came with smiles of hope for Amethyst being found, but only to be disappointed by Garnet's head shaking a resounding 'no'.

"I'm sorry. I've searched every inch of this fair, but I just can't grip a clue."

"Let's check the wrestling warehouse, as Steven suggested during our break at the Big Donut," Pearl added with a glint of hope in her eye... not to mention her gem. They jogged down the path back to the city, scanning the roads and buildings all the while. The city was humble and, for a city, very quiet and unmoving. A few people strutted down the sidewalks, but that was it. When the gems finally made it to the lump of abandoned scraps and walls with a roof planted on top that people called a 'warehouse', they only found Mr. Smiley cleaning up a post-fight party from the day before. Steven gathered his energy, then ran over to the smiling man.

"Uh, Mr. Smiley, have you seen Am- I mean, Purple Puma lately?"

" I'm afraid I haven't caught a glance of 'im, Steven. Come back another time to see if she's wrestlin'!"

The kind little kid sighed. "Amethyst, WHY? Come back, PLEASE!"

Pearl intervened. "Calm down Steven, she can't just disappear. She's bound to be somewhere..."


	5. Chapter 5

"Ready? GO!"

The purple strigiforme advanced into battle with the young Barn Owl. She wore training-design battle claws and a standard training helmet. The Barn Owl, named Soren, wore the same equipment. They both flew into the air at once, wings flapping and talons extending. Yet the purple talons did not extend outwards.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Amthyst cried out as she reached for her gemstone. Unbelievably, out came a whip, with crystals embbed into its stem.

"Woah,"Soren shrilled, dumbfounded. "What in the name of Glaux?" He swiftly dove down below Amethyst as she overshot him with her whip. "Where'd you even get that thing?"

"From my gem, no duh." Amethyst pulled into a divebomb and directly hit Soren with her whip. He yelled in painless surprise as she threw him down on the mossy branches below. He tried to get up, but the whip was practically bendable steel. The purple Eagle Owl alighted on him as he lay motionless on the joust branches.

"You lose, hearty-face," Amethyst hooted in glee.

"Ow... I thought this was a friendly battle, not competitive," Soren reluctantly spoke.

"Aww, it's ok, I'm still your friend!"

A large, beautiful Snowy Owl landed near them, and began to speak.

"Amethyst, if I am correct? Well, Amethyst, I am very amazed by your attack and defense skills. You are quite the strategic fighter. How did you even get that whip?"

"Ehe, I'm sorta kinda a magic being, so... yeah."

A little Elf Owl named Gylfie stood up from the crowd.

"Woah woah woah, hold the pellet. You're magical?"

Amethyst came up to her. "Yep I am,though I'm an alien as well."

"NO WAY. You have to be lying!"

"This owl's the most honest you'll find."

All the owls remained speechless, none gave a hoot.

"So, you're telling me, that you are from a place other than this"-

"AMETHYST!"


	6. Chapter 6

_Elsewhere, a while before the match..._

"I have a feeling Amethyst will turn up soon. For now, let's check the warp sites."

"Good idea Garnet! Let's go find Amethyst and give her some donuts!" shrilled Steven, excited as could be, with a voice that can't get any louder. Pearl proceeded to sneak a glare at Steven. Then she spoke.

"Steven, we don't want to encourage her to get lost. We should just give her a good scolding, that's – hold the mayo, where's Peridot?! Oh no, i left her unnatended! Oh my-"

"PEARL! You forgot I brought her in the puppy carrier."

"Oh right, sorry Garnet."

The small, green object in the carrier moved and made noises. "Nyah..."

"Let's focus on the task at hand."

 _A few hours later..._

Pearl scoffed. "We've looked everywhere, but not a trace of her darn butt anywhere!"

The gem in the carrier bag snorted. "Why can't you all just leave me in the Temple with the Steven? I feel like falling unconscious."

"You mean fainting, Peridot?"

"Yeah, that. Will you?"

Pearl thought for a minute, then sighed. "Sure, go ahead. But no travelling anywhere unless an emergency arises."

"Understood."

Steven jumped up and hollered. "OK!"


End file.
